Productivity of indigenous and exotic chicken, analysis of pooled feed ingredients and egg quality under semi-scavenging in Jardaga Jarte District, Western Oromia, Ethiopia

Chicken production in Ethiopia is an important and integral part of most households in rural, urban and peri-urban areas. Even if Ethiopia owned a huge chicken population with diversified chicken ecotypes, their production potential is limited because of poor management practices. The study was conducted with the objectives to compare the productivity of indigenous and exotic chickens under semi scavenging, to analyses pooled feed ingredient and egg quality parameters in Jardega Jarte district, Western Oromia, Ethiopia. A total of 155 households purposively selected from five kebeles were interviewed. A total of 130 fresh laid eggs were collected on daily basis from local and exotic chicken. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS and SAS. The survey revealed extensive chicken production system accounted (93.5%), of which (78.7%) women play major role. About 72.9% of the interviewed farmers did not construct a separate chicken house. Diseases, predation, lack of veterinary services, poor housing, shortage of supplementary feeds and lack of extension services were found to be major constraints of chicken production in both breeds and the three agro-ecologies. Agro-ecology has effects on exotic breeds of chicken in terms of age at first egg and total number of eggs produced per week and per year (P < 0.05). Breeds and agro-ecologies had effects (P < 0.05) on both external (egg weight, egg length,) and internal (albumin height, albumin weight and yolk height) egg parameters, with higher results recorded in the midland. Exotic chickens exhibited a higher result in terms of some egg quality parameters, such as egg shape index, Haugh unit and yolk color, than exotic breeds. Agro-ecology and breed generally differ in terms of production system, management system, productivity and quality of productivity, insufficiency of vet care, and extension service. Interventions aimed at improving chicken production practices should focus on improved feed, feeding system and improved housing and technology to improve production and productivity of chicken breeds.